The Importance of Continuity in Film and TV

Continuity in the makeup and styling in film and TV is incredibly important. It is very unsatisfying for an audience to notice when something isn't the same as it was in the previous shot whether it is the makeup/hair or the position of a prop/person. The reasons in which a scene can be different from another scene can come down to access to the locations where it was last shot, the availability of particular/certain actors or even the weather conditions. Often scenes are reshot after the filming of a program/film have finished - this could be up to a year after too! It is important to ensure that everything is as it was in the original scene the reshot scene is following.

There are often issues in makeup continuity; actors are required to be dressed the same, have the exact same skin tones (no tans etc!) the exact same hair, either using wigs or the styling and the makeup has to be the same too. In terms of clothes, there could be issues with clothes that are hired from companies, clothes that have been ripped/worn out. Wigs can be distorted, or hair lengths could change. Makeup could be lost/thrown away and not be recorded as to what they were and replaced. In order to keep the hair and makeup the same, profile and side shots are taken every time the makeup is done and continuity is kept in place by referring to these photos. This applies too if hair is wet in a particular shot - everything must be kept the same!!

Examples of unsuccessful continuity in films and tv programs. 

Bibliography: 

http://www.moviemistakes.com/images/mistakegrabs/8629.jpg

http://o.aolcdn.com/dims-global/dims3/GLOB/resize/600x400/http://www.blogcdn.com/slideshows/images/slides/287/955/3/S2879553/slug/l/friends-goof-1.jpg

http://www.moviemistakes.com/images/mistakegrabs/140068.jpg

http://www.delamaracademy.co.uk/blog/2009/06/an-introduction-to-continuity-for-the-make-up-artist